While musicians James Cullen and Dan Cobb (aka Tender) may write, record and produce all their tracks in a North London basement, their latest single ‘Nadir’ appears to traverse geographical and genre lines. Opening with a Middle Eastern or North African sounding string arrangement, bursts of synths and trap beats familiar to any laptop producer punctuate the mesmeric notes. A melodious, funk bass also adds a new element to this vibrant single. The only suggestion that this multi-textured track isn’t as upbeat as it would appear is through the falsetto-leaning vocals, which echo reflective lyrics like, “I’ve been loving you in a different way, try to explain, wash away the pain, things were never going to stay the same.” With this context, we can understand the significance of the track’s title, as lead vocalist Cullen explains: “By definition ‘Nadir’ means 'the lowest or most unsuccessful point in a situation.' The song is about being in an unchanging and static relationship at its worst and the process of freeing yourself from that. Not in terms of bitterness or falling out of love, but rather the natural decline, and learning to love a person in a different way.” - HT